Madison Summers 
Following the city of Yuma, Arizona declaring a state of emergency due to the immense amount of immigrants flooding into their city, Vice President Mike Pence is calling on Congress to start taking action immediately in addressing the “real crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The border law enforcement has recently been forced to release immigrants into U.S. cities due to the overflow of detention facilities, with Yuma being one of those cities that felt the weight and is now experiencing their shelters being at capacity, as IJR Red reported.
Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls declared the state of emergency on Tuesday and hopes it’ll stir a solution on immigration which “rests at the federal level.”
The mayor said that by declaring the state of emergency, he is “making sure that, not just locally, but throughout the country, it is clear that we are in a position that needs to be rectified on a national level, not just within the resources of our Yuma community.”
In a Fox News op-ed published Friday, the vice president put his foot down that “this crisis is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”
Pence visited Nogales, Arizona last Thursday where he said he witnessed “firsthand the humanitarian and national security emergency” at the U.S. border.
It was an honor to meet the extraordinary men and women of @CBP in Nogales this afternoon. @POTUS and I are grateful for the work that you do every day. Thank you for your service! pic.twitter.com/ynyLPpdTwo
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) April 12, 2019
“As those brave officers told me, we have a real crisis on our hands, and what’s driving it is the loopholes in our immigration laws that Congress has refused to close,” Pence said.
He laid out facts related to the immigration crisis:
“Nearly 3,000 aliens are stopped trying to cross our southern border each day. In the last six months alone, Customs and Border Protection has apprehended more than 360,000 aliens – close to the total number apprehended in all of fiscal year 2018. […] we’ve seen a 370 percent increase in the number of family units apprehended at the border this fiscal year to date.”
“But this humanitarian crisis is also endangering our national security,” Pence said, adding that the influx of immigrants trying to cross onto U.S. soil has caused Border Patrol to leave parts of the border “exposed.”
“This crisis is threatening lives on both sides of the border – and to end it, Congress must act to close the loopholes that drug cartels and human traffickers use to entice vulnerable families to make the long and dangerous journey north to our southern border.”
At @CBP station in Nogales, AZ, @VP adamant "we have a crisis on our southern border." Says he was told 4,300 were apprehended last Tuesday trying to cross into the US illegally. Told @CBP personnel that Administration determined to get it the resources it needs. pic.twitter.com/zhMqmeOJSe
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 11, 2019
What’s the solution?
The vice president said the federal asylum laws need to be changed because they’re being taken advantage of by immigrants “presenting themselves to law enforcement and claiming a ‘credible fear’ of persecution without evidence of a credible threat.”
He noted a 2,000 percent increase in the 2018 fiscal year, compared to a decade prior, of Central American immigrants claiming credible fear, with a scale of less than one in ten of those migrants receiving asylum.
Additionally, Pence pointed to the Flores settlement agreement which “encourages adults to cross the border with a child in the hope of entering and staying in the United States.”
“Democrats in Congress need to sit down and take a break from everything else they’re focused on and deal with what the American people want them to deal with, which is securing our border and protecting our country.”
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) April 12, 2019
“President Trump is doing his job. The men and women of law enforcement are doing their jobs,” Pence concluded. “Now it’s time for Congress to do its job and close the loopholes in our immigration laws that are driving the humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border.”
ALL the Illegal Aliens need to be walked back South of the border; NOT released on our side and never seen again. I understand the CBP is trying their very best to handle the situation; but, Congress is asleep and sitting on their hands. The D’s should accept FULL responsibility for this mess all across our Southern border; but doubt they’ll even admit it’s even a crisis. Yuma, AZ is a small town; much too small to handle an influx of people who have no business being there.
2013, bipartisan immigration bill was sent to Boehner. Despite repeated promises to do so, he never put the bill on the House floor for a vote. It died at the end of 2014. Oct, ’15 Ryan had to promise Freedom Caucus “no immigration vote” to get their support for his Speakership. Ryan & McConnell were in charge of Congress from 2015 to Jan 3, 2019. Chuck & Nancy made a deal with Trump in 2017 but Trump renege when Freedom Caucus, Miller, & FOX objected. How is this mess D’s fault?
The dims supported building a wall in that 2013 bill. What is their problem now?
It’s a huge problem NOW because Trump wants it done for America’s security as a sovereign Nation. The Leftists must NOT have any part of anything Trump has proposed because it would be bad for their image as Trump haters and it would show they “cooperated with a Republican for the good of the United States”. Absolutely, positively CAN NOT have that on their Socialist/Communist record!!
James, I knew you would have THE answer to the question. Just waitin for the belly laugh that is gonna come with philly’s deflection.
Your belly laugh will need to wait as it was YOU who deflected from WHO it was that did not support $46 Billion in BORDER SECURITY—there was no mention of wall–border barrier, technology, and border patrols. READ THE BILL. Read the Roll Call vote summary. ALL nay’s were R’s!! Stop taking some wacko’s word for what you believe to be true. Where was this wall funding in the bill REPUBLICANS OPPOSED?
Yes, James, I am certain that you believe that the D’s meet on Jan 20 to devise a plan to block everything Trump proposed. But you would be confusing Newt & Mitch’s meeting to oppose Obama–You appear to have forgotten the R’s opposition to stimulus amid the Great Recession and how they FORGOT that opposition to stimulus to pass a corporate tax cut in 2017 WHILE they were calling the economy the greatest ever. I am certain that has been filed in things that don’t matter.
I would like to remind you that the only popular accomplishment Trump can point to is Criminal Justice Reform, which was passed in both the Senate & House in 2018 with overwhelming D support. The only Nay’s in the Senate were 12 R’s. NO, D’s did NOT support the tax reform bill, but that law currently has bipartisan disapproval. The Senate DHS appropriation bills had bipartisan support both times it was passed–It was Trump that opposed it. What do you think D’s obstructed?
The 2013 immigration bill contained $46 Billion for BORDER SECURITY. It was passed by the Senate with all D’s and 12 R’s. The 32 Nay votes were ALL R’s. The House REPUBLICAN opposition ranged from “fiscal deficit concerns” (remember those?) to anti-immigration. In 2017 & 18-19 bipartisan Senate support of 1.6 B appropriation for border security was initially agreed to by Trump, not agreed to by Trump & after gvt shutdown agreed to. Problem lies with R’s, not D’s.
I’m so sorry I used the word “wall” instead of “fencing”. If you have read the bill, like you claim, you would know that out of that 46 billion “$8 billion will be dedicated to the Southern Border Fencing Strategy, of which $7.5 billion will be for deployment and maintenance of fencing.” And , if you had read the bill like you claim, you would know that 700 miles of “fencing” was to be built.
See, when you do your own research, you learn The Fencing Act of 2006, was amended in 2007 to read that the same barrier in all areas of the border would be plausible? Were you thinking fencing across rivers? Where did they approve a wall of varying definition from day to day?
We are talking about the 2013 bill. Stay on point, philly.
So, back to my question, if the dims supported spending $8 billion for 700 miles of a wall, oops, sorry, fencing in 2013, what is their problem now?
How did you miss the bipartisan approved DHS border security funding for fencing, updated technology at the ports of entry, and more border patrol? You know who defined the difference between a “wall” and fencing? DJT. WHERE are the R’s supportive of DJT’s “Wall” funding?
The Senate votes AGAINST the immigration and Border security in 2013 WERE ALL R’s—-NOT D’s. 2013 it went to the House and despite repeated promises of Boehner, the bill DIED at the end of 2014. I think you are referring to the 2006 Security Fence Act. So, not a wall and not 2013. Not D obstruction, but R obstruction, specifically the Freedom Caucus OBSTRUCTION!
Are you on LSD? I had a friend a long time ago lose his mind to LSD. Your long-winded rants remind me of him.
Are YOU? The 2013 bill you reference never made it to Obama’s desk! The only nay’s in the Senate were R’s. Boehner was Speaker 2013-14 and HE NEVER had the guts to stand up to the Freedom Caucus, despite repeated promises to do so. The Fence Act was 2006 and amended in 2007—by Kay B Hutchinson who was defeated by Cruz in 2012 election. You are the one confused.
Not near as confused as you. Answer the question.
Answer the very simple question posed to you.
No, I have not even HEARD of anyone dropping acid since the early 1970’s.
So, once again, answer the question posed to you. Who the EF cares who effed up in 2013. It’s 2019, let’s live in the present.
Let’s come to a SOLUTION in the PRESENT.
If the dims supported a barrier in 2013, What is their problem in 2019?
I know this is difficult for you, but answer the direct question posed to you, if the dims supported building 700 miles of a barrier in 2013, what is their problem NOW?
C’mon philly.